TEHRAN – The historical mosque of Baba Abdollah in the ancient city of Na’in, central Isfahan province, has undergone some rehabilitation works, a local official said on Tuesday. 

A key goal of the project is to fully repair damaged parts of the mosque’s shabestan, Mahmoud Madanian noted. 

Shabestan is an underground space that can be usually found in Iran’s traditional mosques, houses, and schools.

The project involves strengthening walls and columns, replacing worn-out bricks, and repairing the floor, the official added. 

The historical mosque, dating back to the 13th century, was inscribed on the national heritage list in 1934. 

The history of Na’in dates back to nearly 2000 years, which makes it one of the oldest continuously settled towns in the Iranian plateau.

Na’in lies 170 km north of Yazd and 140 km east of Isfahan. Like much of the Iranian plateau, it has a desert climate, with a maximum temperature of 41 °C in summer, and a minimum of -9 °C in winter.

During ancient times, the city was at the junction of a desert road that connected Tabas and Mashhad, it used to be an important crossroad on converging trade routes since Sassanid times. Na’in was known for its ceramics and textiles; today it’s primarily known for fine hand-knotted carpets and for hand-loomed camel-wool cloaks, which are produced in the neighboring villages.

ABU/AFM